Nicholas Daniel

Nicholas Daniel OBE has long been acknowledged as one of the world’s great oboists and is one of Britain’s best-known musicians. He has significantly expanded the repertoire for his instrument through the commissioning of hundreds of new works. Alongside his performing career, he has developed a varied and exciting conducting profile, and both aspects are equally important to him.

He made his BBC Proms conducting debut in 2004 and works with many distinguished ensembles in wide-ranging repertoire, from Baroque to contemporary, from chamber groups to opera. In recognition of his achievements, he was honoured in 2012 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the prestigious Queen’s Medal for Music, cited as having made “an outstanding contribution to the musical life of the nation.” In October 2020, he was awarded an OBE, and in 2022, received the Cobbett Medal for Chamber Music from the Musicians’ Company.

As a concerto soloist, Nicholas has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors. His repertoire spans from Bach to Xenakis and beyond, and he has premiered works written for him by hundreds of composers, including Eleanor Alberga, Harrison Birtwistle, Henri Dutilleux, James MacMillan, Thea Musgrave, Outi Tarkiainen, John Tavener, and Michael Tippett. He also champions younger composers writing for the oboe.

A dedicated chamber musician, he is a founding member of Britten Sinfonia, the Haffner Wind Ensemble, Orsino, and the Britten Oboe Quartet, whose debut disc on Harmonia Mundi was widely acclaimed. He collaborates regularly with pianists Huw Watkins and Julius Drake and leading string quartets including the Carducci, Doric, and Vogler. He is principal oboist of Camerata Pacifica in California and a frequent guest at festivals worldwide.